Paulsen v. Golden Gate University

In Paulsen v. Golden Gate University (1979) 25 Cal.3d 803, a law student was readmitted by a law school for a fourth year so that he could be certified as having studied law for four years; such persons could take the bar examination even if they did not receive a law degree. The law school advised the student that his readmission was a limited opportunity and that he would not be awarded a law degree even if he received straight A's in his fourth year courses. This was the first time the law school had imposed a no-degree condition on a student. Guided by the rule of judicial nonintervention, our Supreme Court held the law school did not act arbitrarily or in bad faith by including the no-degree condition in readmitting, for the sole purpose of bar certification, an academically disqualified student. (Paulsen, supra, 25 Cal.3d at pp. 806-811.)